


Picking Up the Pieces

by ivorylight



Category: Throne of Glass Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Angst, Dead Dorian Havilliard, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Ghosts, Hallucinations, Hurt Aelin Ashryver Galathynius | Celaena Sardothien, I'm Bad At Tagging, I'm so sorry Dorian, Implied/Referenced Torture, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Kidnapping, M/M, Magic, Other, Psychological Trauma, Recovery, Wyrdkeys, Wyrdmarks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:30:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25410133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivorylight/pseuds/ivorylight
Summary: The war with Erawan is over. Dorian successfully forged the lock and destroyed Erawan, but many of the Valg and Erawan's beasts remained in Erilea. For the past 3 years, Aedion has been leading Terrasen and the rest of their allied armies to rid the world of the remaining Valg, and 2 months ago, they finally succeeded. With the majority of the fighting done, Aedion, Rowan, Lysandra, and the rest of Terrasen’s court have finally been able to go looking for their lost queen. But will she still be the queen they lost, or has she shattered into someone unrecognizable?ON HIATUS: More info on my instagram @book_wyrms
Relationships: Aedion Ashryver & Aelin Ashryver Galathynius | Celaena Sardothien, Aedion Ashryver/Lysandra, Aelin Ashryver Galathynius | Celaena Sardothien & Dorian Havilliard, Aelin Ashryver Galathynius | Celaena Sardothien/Rowan Whitethorn, Lysandra & Aelin Ashryver Galathynius | Celeana Sardothien
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! This is my first work on AO3, so I apologize for any formatting errors. Enjoy!

**Aelin**

It had been 3 years. 3 years since she had been taken. 3 years alone with him. 3 years without her mate. She was quiet. She no longer screamed insults. She no longer raged against him. She didn’t even cry out when he hurt her. When he did unspeakable things to her. She did nothing.

**Rowan**

It was hard to think. He could barely breathe. His mating bond was tearing. After the first year away, it had faded. After the second, it was barely a thread. Now, it was a ghost. If he truly focused, he could feel it, but just barely. He knew, deep in his soul, that she was barely hanging on. He knew a bond could become strained, but never had he, or anyone he knew, ever heard of a bond becoming like this. None of the remaining cadre members had any idea of how that rutting bitch of a being blocked him out so thoroughly. This was probably their last chance. The war was over, and with that, Aelin was no longer useful to Maeve. They had captured one of Maeve’s lieutenants and found the last possible spot where she might be. She could be here. She could come home. He tried to use the bond one last time. 

_Please be there. Hold on. I’m coming for you._

But all he heard was himself, and the other soldiers around him readying for battle. With his thoughts echoing in his mind, he shifted, and his battle cry echoed across the hidden valley.

**Aelin**

She could hear the fighting down the corridor. The smell of fear and blood filled the air. But what did it matter? It wasn’t real. She tried to care, but she couldn’t. She was just tired. 

**Rowan**

He raced down the corridor, tendrils of magic spearing guards left and right. All he could think of was her. Broken, bleeding, hurt. Her, crying out in terror for a mate that wasn’t there. Crying out for a mate who couldn’t protect her. So Rowan Whitethorn Galanthynius killed. And killed. And killed.

**Aelin**

She could smell him. The Prince of Ice and Snow. But he wasn’t coming. He couldn’t be coming. This had happened before. Many times. When the Dark Queen still visited her. When she could still see the white wolf. That was a long time ago. Just as he would arrive, She made him vanish. She made them all vanish. But the sounds of fighting weren’t fading. He couldn’t be coming… could he? No. He had given up on her. He left her at the end of every dream. This wasn’t real. This wasn’t real. This wasn’t-

**Rowan**

She was here. Even the former gods couldn’t have outpaced him when he caught her scent. He burst into the room. She was chained in the iron coffin that she was taken in, with the scent of fear and pain surrounded that cursed coffin. With one blow, he snapped the lid in half, and a second blow destroyed the chains holding her in. She was so scarred he almost didn’t recognize her. She even smelled different. She smelled of Cairn. The only thing that was still there was her golden blood-caked hair and her turquoise eyes ringed with gold. But why wasn’t she moving? She didn’t even meet his gaze. She was trembling, and she turned her face away from him. 

_“Aelin?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on insta @book_wyrms <3


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I've been yelled at several times for killing Dorian, so I'd like to apologize in advance, and I promise it gets better... eventually *evil laugh*

**Aedion**

Rowan hadn’t left Aelin’s side since he found her. She passed out when he took her back to the ship, and he wasn’t allowing anyone to approach her, not even Aedion. He had also been terrorizing the crew, growling at anyone who came within 20 feet of her room. He had to calm down before he scared the crew away. “Hey Rowan? Can I talk to you?” Rowan looked at him, and with a slight growl, he responded. “I’m not moving.” Aedion, being careful not to move too close to the protective male, said “I sent Lysandra ahead to get Yrene. We are still a couple weeks away from Rifthold, but with Lysandra flying in wyvern form, she should be back with Yrene in a couple of days.” Rowan’s shoulders relaxed slightly with the news and said “She hasn’t woken up yet, and only had a few cuts and bruises which I healed, but she’s covered in scars.” Aedion cursed. “I have to go check in with the rest of the injured, but let me know if she wakes up.” Rowan gave him a small, sad smile, but nodded before retreating back into Aelin’s room.

**Aelin**

She woke up in an unfamiliar cabin. There was rocking. A boat? There wasn’t the familiar haze she learned to recognize as a side effect after one of Her hallucinations. She wasn’t chained. And she was… clean? No fresh scars. No aching muscles. And Rowan was there? This couldn’t have actually happened. It's probably some Valg shifter with some new way to hurt her. Still, should she say something? Was there some impossible chance this was real?

**Rowan**

“Which one are you?” He had been pacing the room, but stopped dead in his tracks when he heard her voice. It was raw, as if she had been screaming, but it was unmistakably hers. He whirled around. “Aelin?” She looked away, and asked again “Which one are you?” “It’s me Fireheart, we’re going home.” He tried to take a step closer, but she flinched and he immediately stepped back. “Are you in pain?” Rowan kept his distance, but all he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her and never let go. Aelin looked at him. She seemed utterly exhausted. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but ultimately turned over and squeezed her eyes shut. He gingerly sat down next to her, but stayed silent. He almost didn’t hear her whisper to herself. “I am Aelin Ashryver Galathynius and I will not be afraid. I will not yield.” And while his heart broke with each word his Fireheart whispered, he shifted, and flew above and beyond the ship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on insta @book_wyrms <3
> 
> That's my writing account, so feel free to reach out and say hi! I currently only have fanfiction, but I plan on posting original writing soon. I'll be posting sneak peeks along with announcements on when upcoming chapters will be posted!


	3. Not a Chapter- Hiatus update

Hey everyone!

I know I haven't updated in a while. This story is currently on hiatus, but it is NOT abandoned. I will be coming back to it. More info on this and my other stories on my insta @book_wyrms. Feel free to reach out and comment or message me!

Best,

Quill <3


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